Pipefitters & Steamfitters
Union locals: UA Local 120 (Cleveland) · Local 392 (Cincinnati) · Local 50 (Toledo) · Local 396 (Youngstown) · Local 219 (Akron) · Local 189 (Columbus) · Local 776 (Lima)
How Pipefitters & Steamfitters Were Exposed to Asbestos
During normal duties, Pipefitters & Steamfitters were routinely exposed to asbestos-containing materials in Ohio industrial, commercial, and public construction work from the 1930s through the 1980s. Documented exposure pathways drawn from public litigation records and industrial hygiene literature include:
- Cutting into insulated steam and process lines to add fittings
- Removing and replacing asbestos pipe gaskets at flanged joints
- Repacking valve stems with asbestos rope packing
- Working below insulators stripping pipe covering overhead
- Hot work (welding, brazing) on asbestos-insulated lines
- Maintaining steam traps, strainers, and heat exchangers with asbestos gaskets
Why This Matters for Ohio Workers
If you worked as an pipefitters & steamfitters in Ohio during the asbestos era and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or pleural disease, you may have a legal claim — even if your employer is no longer in business. Many asbestos product manufacturers have established bankruptcy trust funds that continue to pay qualified claimants based on documented exposure history.
Ohio Filing Deadlines — Two Separate Clocks
Ohio keeps the personal-injury clock (Ohio Rev. Code § 2305.10 — 2 years from diagnosis) and the wrongful-death clock (O.R.C. § 2125.02 — 2 years from date of death) on separate, independent tracks. Preserving one does not extend the other. An experienced Ohio asbestos attorney can keep both options open as your situation evolves.
Talk to an Experienced Ohio Asbestos Attorney
A free, confidential consultation with O’Brien Law Firm can evaluate your specific exposure history and filing-deadline situation. No fee unless they recover compensation.
☎ (314) 588-0558